Whatever the motives of the husband, he has placed a terrible stumbling block in his wife’s way to hinder her in the work of overcoming. And if the transfer be made to the children, the same evil results may follow. God reads his motives. If he is selfish and has made the transfer to conceal his covetousness and excuse himself from doing anything to advance the cause, the curse of Heaven will surely follow. God reads the purposes and intents of the heart, and tries the motives of the children of men. His signal, visible displeasure may not be manifested as in the case of Ananias and Sapphira, yet in the end the punishment will in no case be lighter than that which was inflicted upon them. In trying to deceive men, they were lying to God. “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” {1T 529.2} Such can stand the test of the judgment no better than the man who received the one talent and hid it in the earth. When called to account, he accused God of injustice: “I knew Thee that Thou art an hard man, reaping where Thou hast not sown, and gathering where Thou hast not strewed: and I was afraid, and went and hid Thy talent in the earth [where the cause of God could not be benefited with it]: lo, there Thou hast that is Thine.” Saith God: “Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.... And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” This man was afraid that his Lord would be benefited by the improvement of his talent. {1T 530.1}

Disse kan ikke stå domsprøven bedre end manden, som fik en talent og skjulte den i jorden. Da han blev kaldt til regnskab, anklagede han Gud for at være uretfærdig. »Herre, jeg havde lært dig at kende som en hård mand, der høster, hvor de ikke såede og samler, hvor du ikke spredte og af frygt for dig gik jeg hen og gemte dit talent i jorden; [hvor Guds sag ikke kunne have gavn af den] se, her har du, hvad dit er.« Gud sagde, »Tag nu den talent fra ham og giv den til ham, der har ti talenter;... og kast den unyttige tjener ud i mørket udenfor. Der skal være gråd og tændersskæren.« Denne mand var bange for at Herren ville få gavn af hans talent.